Posts Tagged: lawmakers

Micheli Files

The California rulemaking process, Part I

Image by Andrii Yalanskyi.

We’ve all heard the expression “The rules are the rules.” But when it comes to making rules in the state of California, the process has its own labyrinth of, well, rules to guide the process. 

Opinion

California must not miss critical deadline to tackle plastic pollution

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OPINION – California has long been a leader in environmental protection. Now is the time to reaffirm our promise: to live up to our state’s track record of bold environmental action and keep California at the forefront of the fight against plastic pollution for generations to come.

News

Dems tackle controversy over ethnic studies curriculum

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Just days after three major Jewish organizations announced that an Orange County school district had agreed to settle a lawsuit over controversial ethnic studies courses, 31 Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate introduced a bill intended to prevent situations like that from happening again.

Micheli Files

A historic look at bill introductions in the California Legislature

Image by Wallentine

For the 2025 Session, legislators in both houses are subject to a 2-year limit of 35 bills. But did the lower caps actually produce fewer bills this year? In a special edition of the Micheli Files, law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli took a look a bill intros going back almost two decades to give us that answer.

News

Schedulers: The California Capitol’s unsung heroes

Scheduler Anna Esparza. Photo by Ellie Appleby, Capitol Weekly

Getting a meeting with a lawmaker at the California State Capitol is often an exercise in patience and flexibility, one that generally has multiple moving parts. And no matter who is doing the asking, the process almost always starts with the same person – the scheduler.

Micheli Files

Constitutional amendments used in the California legislature

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What is a “constitutional amendment”? Although California’s Constitution provides for the amendment of this document, our state Constitution does not define this term. A traditional definition of a constitutional amendment is a modification to an existing constitution.

CA120

CA 120: Dems in a funk, but Harris and Newsom could still shine

Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. Photo by Associated Press

In the latest Capitol Weekly poll we wanted to get a sense from voters about how they are responding to the outcome of the presidential election. We surveyed nearly 1,200 California voters and found an electorate that is just as divided as ever and Democrats, in particular, in a funk.

Micheli Files

Bills used in the California Legislature

Image by Sparky2000

There are numerous types of bills introduced in the California Legislature each year, and an equal number of rules for how and when they are presented. In this week’s Micheli Files, lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli gives us the lowdown on legislation under the dome.

Capitol Briefs

Capitol Briefs: Plugging the puppy mill pipeline

Sen. Tom Umberg and Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Steve Bennett. Photo by Jeff Walters, Senate Rules Photography

Tuesday at the Capitol saw a very chilly morning press conference to announce new efforts to protect both California consumers and our canine friends from the dangers of out-of-state puppy mills. Plus, packages of fire response and recovery measures, some interesting bills from other states and Denmark looking to buy…California!

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